In a connection service for a network, e.g., the Internet, when a user would like to be authenticated, the user should input his/her personal identification data (e.g., a user identification prescribed in advance by the service provider or a password settled by the user) into a terminal that the user would like to connect with the connection service, and send the identification from the terminal to the network. Conventionally, locations from which network connections were requested were limited to e.g., offices or homes. However, in recent years, network connections from various locations have increased with the permeation of ubiquitous computing on account of improvement in performance of mobile electronic devices and the global spread of the Internet. There is a demand to found a scheme for establishing secure connections readily with networks from anywhere.
However, in accordance with the above-mentioned method for user authentication, each user can use only a connection service for a network to which the user subscribes and in which he/she has registered his/her personal identification data. Although a network connection service can be provided for users who do not subscribe to the network, there is a problem that the network cannot identify the users.
On the other hand, when a mobile electronic device located in various shops, public facilities, or the like is connected to a network connection service, a wireless LAN scheme such as the IEEE 802.11 scheme has been used. However, security weakness has been pointed out with this kind of scheme. For example, with wireless LANs, eavesdropping is easier than in wired LANs.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for providing a network connection service used in a location where the general public can access, wherein each user can be identified certainly.